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THE KNIGHTS OF 
THE SILVER SHIELD 




















N\V 


The KNIGHTS of 
The SILVER SHIELD 



By Raymond MacDonald Alden 


With Pictures by 
W. H. Lohse 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


















2j 


Copyright, 1906, 1923 


By The Bobbs-Merrill Company 



Printed in the United States of America 


< *« 


PRESS OF 

BRAUNWORTH & CO 
BOOK MANUFACTURERS 
BROOKLYN, N. Y. 


DEC-3'23 

©C1A7G6132 


'V<» S 



The Knights of the 
Silver Shield 













■VI' 









i'^^^HERE was once a splendid castle 
in a forest, with great stone 
walls and a high gateway, and turrets 


that rose away above the tallest trees. 


9 

































The forest was 
dark and danger¬ 
ous, and many 
cruel giants lived 
in it; but in the 
castle was a com¬ 
pany of knights, 
who were kept 
there by the king 
of the country, to help travelers who 
might be in the forest, and to fight 
with the giants whenever they could. 

Each of these knights wore a beau¬ 
tiful suit of armor and carried a long 
spear, while over his helmet there 
floated a great red plume that could 
be seen a long way off by any one in 
distress. But the most wonderful 

10 








thing about the 
knights’ armor 
was their shields. 

They were not like 
those of other 
knights, hut had 
been made by a 
great magician 
who had lived in 
the castle many years before. They 
were made of silver, and sometimes 
shone in the sunlight with dazzling 
brightness; but at other times the sur¬ 
face of the shields would be clouded 
as though by a mist, and one could 
not see his face reflected there as he 
could when they shone brightly. 

Now, when each young knight re- 

11 







ceived his spurs and his armor, a new 
shield was also given him from among 
those that the magician had made; 
and when the shield was new its sur¬ 
face was always cloudy and dull. But 
as the knight began to do service 
against the giants, or went on expedi¬ 
tions to help poor travelers in the 
forest, his shield grew brighter and 
brighter, so that he could see his face 
clearly reflected in it. But if he 
proved to be a lazy or cowardly 
knight, and let the giants get the 
better of him, or did not care what 
became of the travelers, then the 
shield grew more and more cloudy, 
until the knight became ashamed to 
carry it. 


12 


But this was not all. When any one 
of the knights fought a particularly 
hard battle, and won the victory, or 
when he went on some hard errand 
for the lord of the castle, and was 
successful, not only did his silver 
shield grow brighter, but when one 



13 




































looked into the center 
of it he could see 
something like a gold¬ 
en star shining in its 
very heart. This was 
the greatest honor 
that a knight could 
achieve, and the oth¬ 
er knights always 
spoke of such a one as 
having “won his 
star.” It was usually 
not till he was pretty 
old and tried as a sol¬ 
dier that he could win 
it. At the time when 
this story begins, the 
lord of the castle him- 


14 





























self was the only one 
of the knights whose 
shield bore the golden 
star. 

There came a time 
when the worst of the 
giants in the forest 
gathered themselves 
together to have a 
battle against the 
knights. They made 
a camp in a dark hol¬ 
low not far from the 
castle, and gathered 
all their best warriors 
together, and all the 
knights made ready 
to fight them. The 



15 
































windows of the castle were closed and 
barred; the air was full of noise of 
armor being made ready for use; and 
the knights were so excited that they 
could scarcely rest or eat. 

Now there was a young knight in 
the castle, named Sir Roland, who was 
among those most eager for the battle. 
He was a splendid warrior, with eyes 
that shone like stars whenever there 
was anything to do in the way of 
knightly deeds. And although he was 
still quite young, his shield had begun 
to shine enough to show plainly that 
he had done bravely in some of his 
errands through the forest. This bat¬ 
tle, he thought, would be the great 

opportunity of his life. And on the 

16 



SIR ROLAND 



































































































morning of the 
day when they 
were to go forth 
to it, and all the 
knights assem¬ 
bled in the great 
hall of the castle 
to receive the 
commands of 
their leaders, Sir Roland hoped that 
he would be put in the most danger¬ 
ous place of all, so that he could show 
what knightly stuff he was made of. 

But when the lord of the castle came 
to him, as he went about in full armor 
giving his commands, he said: “One 
brave knight must stay behind and 

guard the gateway of the castle, and 

18 



















/ 



it is you, Sir Ro¬ 
land, being one 
of the youngest, 
whom I have cho¬ 
sen for this.” 

At these words 
Sir Roland was 
so disappointed 
that he bit his lip, 
and closed his helmet over his face so 
that the other knights might not see it. 
For a moment he felt as if he must 
reply angrily to the commander, and 
tell him that it was not right to leave 
so sturdy a knight behind, when he 
was eager to fight. But he struggled 
against this feeling, and went quietly 
to look after his duties at the gate. 


19 



















The gateway was high and narrow, and 
was reached from outside by a high, 
narrow bridge that crossed the moat, 
which surrounded the castle on every 
side. When an enemy approached, the 
knight on guard rang a great bell just 
inside the gate, and the bridge was 
drawn up against the castle wall, so 
that no one could come across the 
moat. So the giants had long ago 
given up trying to attack the castle 
itself. 

To-day the battle was to be in the 


20 






dark hollow in the forest, and it was 
not likely that there would be any¬ 
thing to do at the castle gate, except 
to watch it like a common doorkeeper. 
It was not strange that Sir Roland 
thought some one else might have 
done this. 

Presently all the other knights 
marched out in their flashing armor, 
their red plumes waving over their 
heads, and their spears in their hands. 
The lord of the castle stopped only 

to tell Sir Roland to keep guard over 

21 



the gate until they had all returned, 
and to let no one enter. Then they 
went into the shadows of the forest, 
and were soon lost to sight. 

Sir Roland stood looking after them 



22 















































































long after they had gone, thinking 
how happy he would be if he were on 
the way to battle like them. But after 
a little he put this out of his mind, 
and tried to think of pleasanter things. 
It was a long time before anything 
happened, or any word came from the 
battle. 

At last Sir Roland saw one of the 
knights come limping down the path 
to the castle, and he went out on the 
bridge to meet him. Now this knight 
was not a brave one, and he had been 
frightened away as soon as he was 
wounded. 

“I have been hurt,” he said, “so 
I can not fight any more. But 
I could watch the gate for you, 


23 


if you would like 
to go back in my 
place.” 

At first Sir 
Roland’s heart 
leaped with joy 
at this, but then 
he remembered 
what the com¬ 
mander had told 
him on going 
away, and he said: “I should like 
to go, but a knight belongs where 
his commander has put him. My 
place is here at the gate, and I can 
not open it even for you. Your 
place is at the battle.” 

The knight was ashamed when he 

24 







































heard this, and he 
presently turned 
about and went into 
the forest again. 

So Sir Roland kept 
guard silently for an¬ 
other hour. Then 
there came an old 
beggar woman down 
the path to the castle, 
and asked Sir Roland 
if she might come in and have some 
food. He told her that no one could 
enter the castle that clay, but that he 
would send a servant out to her with 
food, and that she might sit and rest 
as long as she would. 

“I have been past the hollow in the 

25 







forest where the battle is going on,” 
said the old woman, while she was 
waiting for her food. 

“And how do you think it is going?” 
asked Sir Roland. 

“Badly for the knights, I am 
afraid,” said the old woman. “The 
giants are fighting as they have never 
fought before. I should think you had 
better go and help your friends.” 

“I should like to, indeed,” said Sir 
Roland. “But I am set to guard the 
gateway of the castle, and can not 
leave.” 


26 




“One fresh knight would make a 
great difference when they are all 
weary with fighting,” said the old 
woman. “I should think that, while 
there are no enemies about, you would 
be much more useful there.” 

“You may well think so,” said Sir 
Roland, “and so may I; but it is 
neither you nor I that is commander 
here.” 

“I suppose,” said the old woman 
then, “that you are one of the kind 
of knights who like to keep out of 

fighting. You are lucky to have so 

27 



good an excuse for staying at home.” 
And she laughed a thin and taunting 
laugh. 

Then Sir Roland was very angry, 
and thought that if it were only a 
man instead of a woman, he would 
show him whether he liked fighting 
or no. But as it was a woman, he 
shut his lips and set his teeth hard 
together, and as the servant came just 
then with the food he had sent for, 
he gave it to the old woman quickly, 
and shut the gate that she might not 
talk to him any more. 

It was not very long before he heard 
some one calling outside. Sir Roland 
opened the gate, and saw standing at 

the other end of the drawbridge a 

28 



SIR ROLAND OPENED THE GATE 




































































































































little old man in a long black cloak. 
“Why are you knocking here?” he 
said. “The castle is closed to-day.” 

“Are you Sir Roland?” said the little 
old man. 

“Yes,” said Sir Roland. 

“Then you ought not to be staying 
here when your commander and his 
knights are having so hard a struggle 
with the giants, and when you have 
the chance to make yourself the great¬ 
est knight in this kingdom. Listen to 
me! I have brought you a magic 
sword.” 

As he said this, the old man drew 
from under his coat a wonderful 
sword that flashed in the sunlight as 
if it were covered with diamonds. 

30 



“I HAVE BROUGHT YOU A MAGIC SWORD” 

























































































































































































“This is the sword of all swords,” he 
said, “and it is for you, if you will 
leave your idling here by the castle 
gate, and carry it to the battle. Noth¬ 
ing can stand before it. When you 
lift it the giants will fall back, your 
master will be saved, and you will be 
crowned the victorious knight—the 



32 




























































































one who will soon take his command¬ 
er’s place as lord of the castle.” 

Now Sir Roland believed that it 
was a magician who was speaking to 
him, for it certainly appeared to be 
a magic sword. It seemed so wonder¬ 
ful that the sword should be brought 
to him, that he reached out his hand 



S3 


























as though he would take 
it, and the little old 
man came forward, as 
though he would cross 
the drawbridge into 
the castle. But as he 
did so, it came to Sir 
Roland’s mind again 
that that bridge and 
the gateway had been 
intrusted to him, and 
he called out “No!” to 
the old man, so that 
he stopped where he 
was standing. But he 
waved the shining 
sword in the air again, 
and said: “It is for 


34 





























you! Take it, and win 
the victory!” 

Sir Roland was real¬ 
ly afraid that if he 
looked any longer at 
the sword, or listened 
to any more words of 
the old man, he would 
not be able to hold him¬ 
self within the castle. 
For this reason he 
struck the great bell at 
the gateway, which was 
the signal for the serv¬ 
ants to pull in the 
chains of the draw¬ 
bridge, and instantly 
they began to pull, and 



35 



















the drawbridge came up, so that 
the old man could not cross it to 
enter the castle, nor Sir Roland 
to go out. 

Then, as he looked across the 


36 














































































































moat, Sir Roland saw a wonder¬ 
ful thing. The little old man 

threw off his black cloak, and 
as he did so he began to grow bigger 
and bigger, until in a minute more 
he was a giant as tall as any in 
the forest. At first Sir Roland could 
scarcely believe his eyes. Then he 
realized that this must be one of 
their giant enemies, who had changed 
himself to a little old man 

through some magic power, that 
he might make his way into 

the castle while all the knights 
were away. Sir Roland shuddered 

to think what might have hap¬ 
pened if he had taken the sword 
and left the gate unguarded. The 


37 


giant shook his 
fist across the 
moat that lay 
between them, 
and then, know¬ 
ing that he 
could do noth¬ 
ing more, he 
went angrily 
back into the forest. 

Sir Roland now resolved not to open 
the gate again, and to pay no atten¬ 
tion to any other visitor. But it was 
not long before he heard a sound that 
made him spring forward in joy. It 
was the bugle of the lord of the cas¬ 
tle, and there came sounding after it 
the bugles of many of the 

38 














knights that 
were with him, 

pealing so joy¬ 
fully that Sir 

Roland was 
sure they were 
safe and happy. 

As they came 
nearer, he could 
hear their shouts of victory. So 

he gave the signal to let down the 
drawbridge again, and went out to 
meet them. They were dusty and 

blood-stained and weary, but they had 
won the battle with the giants; and it 
had been such a great victory that 
there had never been a happier home¬ 
coming. 



39 











Sir Roland greeted 
them all as they 
passed in over the 
bridge, and then, 
when he had closed 
the gate and fas¬ 
tened it, he fol¬ 
lowed them into the 
great hall of the 
castle. The lord of 
the castle took his 
place on the high¬ 
est seat, with the 
other knights about 
him, and Sir Roland 
came forward with 
the key of the gate, 
to give his account 


40 






























of what he had done 
in the place to 
which the command¬ 
er had appointed 
him. The lord of 
the castle bowed to 
him as a sign for 
him to begin, but 
just as he opened 
his mouth to speak, 
one of the knights 
cried out: 

“The shield ! the 
shield! Sir Roland’s 
shield!” 

Every one turned 
and looked at the 
shield which Sir Ro- 



41 




































land carried on his left arm. He 
himself could see only the top of 
it, and did not know what they 
could mean. But what they saw was 
the golden star of knighthood, shin¬ 
ing brightly from the center of Sir 
Roland’s shield. There had never 
been such amazement in the cas¬ 
tle before. 

Sir Roland knelt before the lord 
of the castle to receive his com¬ 
mands. He still did not know why 
every one was looking at him so 
excitedly, and wondered if he had 
in some way done wrong. 

“Speak, Sir Knight,” said the 
commander, as soon as he could 
find his voice after his surprise, 

42 



“and tell us all that has hap¬ 
pened to-day at the castle. Have 
you been attacked? Have any 
giants come hither? Did you fight 
them alone?” 


43 





















“No, My Lord,” said Sir Ro¬ 

land. “Only one giant has been 
here, and he went away silently 
when he found he could not en¬ 
ter.” 

Then he told all that had hap¬ 
pened through the day. 

When he had finished, the 
knights all looked at one an¬ 

other, but no one spoke a word. 
Then they looked again at Sir 

Roland’s shield, to make sure 
that their eyes had not deceived 
them, and there the golden star 
was still shining. 

After a little silence the lord 
of the castle spoke. 

“Men make mistakes,” he said, 

44 


“but our silver shields are never 
mistaken. Sir Roland has fought 
and won the hardest battle of all 
to-day.” 

Then the others all rose and sa¬ 
luted Sir Roland, who was the young¬ 
est knight that ever carried the golden 
star. 



















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